| Site Search |
JB Blair
1SG
RA06958861
The following article was published in the Trooper's Corner of G Troop's July 1998 Issue (Copyright © 1998, all rights reserved) and is reprinted here with permission.
When a lot of us think "First Sergeant", J.B. Blair is the first one that
comes to mind. Blair, a born and reared Texan, started his army career in
January 1940 when he joined Machine Gun Troop, 8th Cavalry Regiment
at Fort Bliss, Texas. Training with the Horse Cavalry in those days was a
tough row to hoe. Moving into action from a full gallop, setting up and
firing on target within 12 to 15 seconds would be a site for some of
us to see! Also the blindfolded routines of striping the old .30 cal Heavy
Water Cooled Machine Guns, and yes... then the reassembly. Horses and men
both trained as a team!
Blair made his 1st Sgt stripes in two and a half years and was handed G
Troop while on the Second Louisiana Field Maneuvers.
After shipping to Australia with G Troop, the Regiment organized H Troop
(Weapons Troop). Blair left G Troop as 1st Sgt to become the 1st Sgt of H
Troop. And yes... like most of the good NCOs of those days, at some time or
other they managed to get themselves busted! Blair was busted after a
particular misunderstanding in down town Brisbane! (I never did find out
just what all went on there to warrant the bust, but we can imagine!) The
next day, JB was promoted up to Corporal then on to Sgt shortly thereafter.
Blair spent most of his time as the Section Leader of a Machine Gun
Section. Later, he went to Bn Hq and after being wounded and spending a
couple of months recuperating, he rejoined them as their 1st Sgt. I learned
from one source, that when his Troop approached the gates of Santo Tomas to
free the prisoners, there was strong talk of throwing JB over the main gate
to unlatch it from the inside! I think he was saved when a tank lumbered
past and crashed it for them!
After being discharged from accumulating enough points, and staying out a
few months, Blair reenlisted and once again joined G Troop in Tokyo as
their 1st Sgt. I served under him from December of 1948 until his rotation
out of Korea in May of 1951. The honor was mine of burning up a few clips
of ammo with him when rifle duty would take priority over his position as
1st Sgt, and I will always remember him as a "Keep Cool" gunslinger. JB was
directly responsible for getting a large number of G Company troopers to
safety during the dark days of the Unsan Battle, including a number of
troopers from my platoon.
At the young age of 80 years, Blair is still going strong, taking a lot of
walks and doing a bit of fishing now and then, and keeping in contact with
other troopers of G Troop. I don't know if Conroe Texas is aware
of having a soldier like him in their midst, but they are missing the boat
if they don't! A Soldier of Soldiers, First Sergeant J.B. Blair, we salute
you!!
By:
Elmer C. "Whitey" Reese
MSG, US Army Retired
G Trp, 8th Cav Regt (Inf)
Dec 1948 - Jul 1951
